Chapter 849:

“Great,” Kaelyn replied casually. She viewed Fiona as cowardly, greedy, selfish, and useless. Yet, she mused, if Fiona hadn’t been so morally corrupt, how would she have ever connected with her?

Kaelyn warned, “I expect you to keep our agreement. Otherwise, you’ll see the consequences.”

Fiona missed the ominous tone and said impatiently, “Don’t worry. I remember everything. I’m ending the call now.”

Fiona hung up, leaned back, and sighed. “Perfect. Elyse won’t be returning now.” She would still be the one competing.

After about thirty minutes, Fiona received confirmation that the competition was to begin. Due to the hour-long delay, the organizers had arranged a special performance to entertain the audience. Each contestant was to perform their signature piece; Elyse had registered Paganini’s Caprice No. 24.

When Fiona heard this, she nearly passed out. Was Elyse out of her mind? How could she choose this piece?

Darren, noticing Fiona hadn’t departed, questioned, “Why are you still here? You’re not supposed to be backstage, are you?” He looked at her face with a puzzled expression. “And why have you applied makeup? What are you planning?”

Fiona, aware of the other contestants, looked embarrassed. “I just applied some makeup. Don’t read too much into it.”

Darren continued, “By the way, where’s Elyse? It’s been quite a while. Where did she go?”

Just as Fiona was about to respond, Edward chimed in, “She went to the restroom. I saw her.”

Fiona rolled her eyes. Edward was obviously lying. Elyse was definitely not coming.

Geraldine, nearby, scowled and declared, “Hey, you’ve been eliminated, so please leave quickly. Don’t disrupt our competition.”

Her voice was stern, almost driving Fiona away. Reflecting on her potential victory, Fiona decided to withstand the hostility and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I didn’t intend to. I was just overly curious and wanted to watch.”

Geraldine rolled her eyes. “Who would believe that? Have you forgotten how you advanced to the final?”

Fiona feigned innocence. “I was just fortunate enough to reach the final. It’s unfortunate for the contestant who had the car accident, but that’s beyond my control. Luck is a kind of strength, isn’t it?” She raised her chin and strutted off.

Geraldine, filled with anger, spat in Fiona’s direction before turning away. Darren and Edward shared a look but said nothing.

Once Fiona had departed, she kept her strategy in mind. In the lounge, she swiftly changed into a dress and approached a staff member, posing as Elyse.

She inquired about the performance requirements. The staff member, deceived, carefully outlined the critical aspects.

With this knowledge, Fiona confidently headed to the backstage area.